"An example for any young player" - Mohammad Kaif on Cheteshwar Pujara's return to India squad for England Test

Former cricketer Mohammad Kaif reserved recently praised Team India's Test specialist, Cheteshwar Pujara. He pointed out that the right-hander has set an example for younger players on how to bounce back after getting dropped.

Speaking on NDTV, Kaif mentioned how Pujara went to play county cricket to prove himself with his consistent performances after being ignored by national selectors. He suggested that other players can learn from what Pujara has done in recent months.

Kaif opined that the veteran batter has contributed significantly to the success of the Test team and backed him to play at the crucial No. 3 position in the rescheduled fifth Test against England. He stated:

"You can learn so much from Pujara. If you get dropped, what do you have to do as a batter? You go back to county, you go back to Ranji and you score runs and runs and I mean, score tons and tons of runs. He has done that."

"He's an example for any young player who has been dropped and how to make a comeback. Probably, you should go back to Pujara and watch what he has done in the last couple of months. He has been a fantastic player for India also. And I think he'll play No. 3 for India."

It is worth mentioning that Cheteshwar Pujara showcased exemplary batsmanship while playing for Sussex in the County Championship 2022. The seasoned campaigner emerged as one of the top performers with the bat for the side and consistently scored big runs.

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India to take on Leicestershire in a warm-up match from June 23

Cheteshwar Pujara will next be seen in action on June 23 when the Indian side lock horns with Leicestershire in a four-day warm-up fixture. The match is scheduled to be played at Grace Road in Leicester.

Following the warm-up match, the visitors will battle it out against hosts England in the rescheduled fifth Test of their five-match series at Edgbaston in Birmingham from July 1.

India currently lead the series by 2-1 and have a good chance of securing a Test series win on English soil for the first time since 2007. The two cricketing giants are slated to play three T20Is and as many ODIs after the red-ball encounter.